Movie Land has been barren of late, at least when it comes to shiny, happy romantic comedies, which are my favorite kind. I can appreciate intensity, drama, and depressing stories. But sometimes I’d just rather not. And during the pre-Christmas weeks all I had to feed the romance appetite was “The Holiday”–a weak appetizer at…

The only double award winner for drama at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival was James C. Strouse’s powerful debut film, “Grace is Gone.” John Cusack gives a remarkably restrained performance as Stanley Philips, a father of two girls, confronted by a shocking reality. Stanley’s wife, Grace, dies serving as a soldier in Iraq. How and…

Who would guess that the Sundance Film Festival would offer not one, but two compelling stories of life inside Russian Orthodox monasteries? “The Island” is a dark, foreboding, but ultimately transcendent film set on an icy Russian setting. “The Monastery: Mr. Vig and the Nun” is a Danish documentary filled with eccentric humor and profound…

The fake controversy surrounding Dakota Fanning’s new film, “Hounddog“–in which the child actress plays a victim of abuse who, in one much-discussed scene, is raped–demonstrates the unfortunate and continuing power of a press release. Political activists on both sides of the aisle have learned that well-timed (and unsubstantiated) accusations can be an effective fundraising tool…

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